9 things successful people do on Sunday nights

Jun 12, 2015

Jacquelyn Smith

Careers Editor, Business Insider

Our Impact

What's the World Economic Forum doing to accelerate action on Jobs and the Future of Work?

The Big Picture

Explore and monitor how Future of Work is affecting economies, industries and global issues

A hand holding a looking glass by a lake

Crowdsource Innovation

Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale

Stay up to date:

Future of Work

Most people will tell you they don’t look forward to Sunday evenings.

In fact, a 2013 poll conducted by Monster.com found that a whopping 78% of surveyed adults worldwide experience the “Sunday night blues” on a regular basis.

Even if you love your job and typically look forward to getting back into the swing of things, “it’s easy to feel a bit of trepidation on Sundays about the stresses waiting for you on Monday morning,” writes Laura Vanderkam in her book “What The Most Successful People Do On The Weekend.”

They spend quality time with their families, friends, and significant others.

Successful people know that their weeks will be jammed and that they are likely to be unavailable, says Roy Cohen, a career coach and author of “The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide.” So they make the most of their Sunday nights by spending time with their loved ones.

They plan something fun.

“This idea may be the most important tip,” Vanderkam writes. “This extends the weekend and keeps you focused on the fun to come, rather than on Monday morning.”

Vanderkam quotes Caitlin Andrews, a librarian, who says her extended family gets together for dinner almost every Sunday, alternating houses. “It takes my mind off any Sunday night blues that might be coming on,” Andrews says.

You might also make Sunday a movie or spa night, or you could join a Sunday night bowling league.

They organize and plan for the week ahead.

Some successful people like to look at their calendars on Sunday night and set goals and deadlines for the upcoming week, says career coach Marsha Egan. The trick is to do this without stressing yourself out.

They exercise.

Take a walk, play a game of tennis, or go to a class at the gym, Egan suggests.

Vanderkam writes in her book that reality TV producer Aliza Rosen does hot yoga at 6 p.m. on Sundays. “It’s a great way for me to sweat out the toxins of the week and center myself for Monday,” Rosen told Vanderkam.

They catch up on reading that has been neglected.

Most successful people read every night before bed, so Sunday-night reading is part of their routines.

They follow up on commitments.

“When we make promises [during the week] there is never enough time to follow through,” Cohen says. Sunday nights often allow us the undivided time to respond to emails and fulfill our commitments.

They relax.

When you know that the week ahead will be full, a good night’s sleep and a healthy meal are essential. “Fuel for the body and mind,” Cohen says.

They volunteer.

“[Another] great way to end the weekend is to volunteer,” Vanderkam writes in her book. Nothing will take your mind off any stresses in your life like serving people who are less fortunate, she says. “It’s a way to connect with humanity before everyone goes their separate ways for the week.”

They end Sunday on a high note.

“Monday will come regardless of how you feel, so try to engage in positive thinking and reflect on positive experiences before ending your weekend,” says Michael Woodward, Ph.D., organizational psychologist and author of “The YOU Plan.“

This article is published in collaboration with Business Insider. Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.

To keep up with the Agenda subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Author: Jacquelyn Smith is the careers editor at Business Insider.

Image: A woman reads a book at her open air book store in Skopje. REUTERS/Ognen Teofilovski

Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.